Aftermath

August 23, 2010
Journalist Rosen (In the Belly of the Green Bird) distills seven years of reporting on the Middle East into a scathing study of U.S. policy in the region—with a focus on the 2003 invasion of Iraq and its aftermath. Rosen argues that the "brutal" occupation inflicted daily violence and humiliation on civilians, "divided Iraqis against one another," catalyzed a devastating civil war, and reinvigorated regional sectarianism. While he acknowledges that the insurgency has been defeated, Rosen fears that "a new phase of violence and factional fighting would likely begin" after an American withdrawal. The author charges that the Bush administration inflated a "war against two hundred unsophisticated extremists" into a global war on terror and that " McChrystal and the military... wanted billions of dollars and a war without end so they could experiment with COIN ." Rosen has traveled throughout the region, often off the beaten path, and interviewed hundreds of ordinary people; the result is a provocative indictment of American policy and policy makers.

September 15, 2010

Rosen (fellow, NYU Ctr. on Law & Security; In the Belly of the Green Bird: The Triumph of the Martyrs in Iraq) has been writing from trouble spots in the Muslim world for seven years, producing firsthand reports on the Iraq War and its consequences that have been among the most penetrating and thought-provoking pieces on the subject to appear in magazines and newspapers in the United States. Unlike the vast majority of American correspondents, who do not speak local languages and report from the vantage point of embedded reporters, Rosen is fluent in Iraqi Arabic; that and his independent perspectives have allowed him to provide Western audiences with an in-depth understanding of the insurgency in Iraq and Afghanistan. He dissects America's battles in Iraq and reveals the devastating consequences of Washington's wars and the repercussions in the Muslim world. VERDICT What makes this book particularly relevant and interesting is that much of the information provided by Rosen is based on his direct observations and experiences with the people he reports on. Readable and captivating, this is highly recommended for both specialists and general readers.--Nader Entessar, Univ. of South Alabama, Mobile

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2010
This could not be a more timely or trenchant examination of the repercussions of the U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. Journalist Rosen has written for The New Yorker, the New York Times Magazine, and Harpers, among other publications, and authored In the Belly of the Green Bird: The Triumph of the Martyrs in Iraq (2006). His on-the-ground experience in the Middle East has given him the extensive contact network and deep knowledgeadvantages that have evaded many, stymied by the great dangers and logistical nightmares of reporting from Iraq and Afghanistan. This work is based on seven years of reporting focused on how U.S. involvement in Iraq set off a continuing chain of unintended consequences, especially the spread of radicalism and violence in the Middle East. Rosen offers a balanced answer to the abiding question of whether our involvement was worth it. Many of his points have been made by others, but Rosens accounts of his own reactions to what hes witnessed and how he tracked down his stories are absolutely spellbinding.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)